Greedy
by stormsandsins
Summary: NB: The heart heeds only what it wishes, despite reason.


**Author's note**: This ended up being much longer than I anticipated (it was supposed to be a drabble!), but I'm not going to apologise. Although I will have you know that I slaved on this for three days because yes, it was hard for some halfwit reason. That is all.

* * *

**GREEDY**

_You'll never speak to her again, is that clear?_

His father's words rang in his ears even hours later – despite the fact that the words had been delivered in an owl at school – as the wind whipped at his face and rain slashed into his eyes. Visibility zero, couldn't see beyond the tip of his nose, and yet it was strangely fitting with the soupy fog in his mind. Downright metaphorical, and hurrah for that.

Scorpius sped around the Quidditch pitch once more, finding comfort in the steadfast knowledge that, while he couldn't see precisely where he was going, a seemingly preternatural sixth sense guided him, telling him exactly when to tilt his broom to execute a flawless swerve worthy of the greats.

Until he collided with another obviously suicidal freak.

"Scorp?" The familiar voice sounded uncertain, worried, very faint through the howling wind.

Squinting, Scorpius spied the foggy form through the heavy canopy of pouring rain. "What the hell do you think you're doing here, Rose? You'll catch your death!"

"Right back at you!" she shot back peevishly. "What is _wrong_ with you? Can't you see the sky's falling apart?"

scorpius stared at her blankly for a moment, barely blinking despite the force of the wind.

Rose rolled her eyes heavenward in exasperation. "What?" she huffed at him.

Scorpius suddenly realised they'd touched ground, quite without his knowing. The rain splashed hard into the thick puddles at their feet, making even his silence sound like an angry cacophony. "It's my father," he conceded quietly.

As expected, Rose hadn't heard properly through the heavy clatter. "Who?" she yelled, face scrunched in visual concentration.

Palming his Firebolt 5100, Scorpius grabbed her elbow, leading her from the war land behind and into the team tents beside the pitch. His, he noticed belatedly. Oh well.

Rose pushed her heavy mane out of her eyes, huffing once more at his continued silence. "So?" she prompted.

He repeated.

"Care to be more specific? I don't read minds although it _would_ save me the trouble of understanding you most days." Oh, she was in a right snit, though the effect was ruined when she snuffled and then sneezed into her coat sleeve.

"I told you, you should have stayed in the castle," Scorpius muttered to his feet as he leaned against a lone row of lockers.

"And leave you to brood out here all night? You're daft."

And she was too damn brave, and gorgeous. Scorpius was quiet a moment, then spoke again, hoarsely. "He wants me to stop seeing you."

Rose's wide eyes and gaping mouth would have been comical under any other circumstances, but this one was rather dire since… "How did he know?" she asked, utter bafflement colouring her tone. And cheeks.

"I don't know."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Scorpius repeated, devoid of any emotion. Actually, he wasn't even sure he actually could feel anything at the moment.

Rose crossed her arms over her breasts. "Well that's convenient," she spat darkly. "I feel downright appreciated, Scorpius, but I guess that's to be expected from rats like you."

The crackwhip insult passed way over his head. He recognised it for what it was: fear. Pushing off the wall, Scorpius squatted before her, momentarily pleased when she didn't pull her hands away. "I know his reason's bullshit," he said.

Her penetrating eyes softened before they dulled altogether and she averted her gaze from his. "And yet?"

Scorpius cringed at the grim expectation in her voice, wishing he could strip it bare. Instead, he cradled her soft cheek and tugged her face down, pressing his mouth over hers, amazed as always at the heady reaction in his chest – a tightening, insistent and demanding. "And yet I have a brilliant future," he grunted in frustration.

Hurt flashed in her eyes. "Then what's stopping you?"

The sharp gasp burst out of Rose's lips just as his hand disappeared underneath her robes, pushing into her through the thin barrier of her cotton knickers. "You," he growled.

"Oh!"

Pale eyes flaring into a stormy grey as he looked up at her, Scorpius lapped at her once, kissing her thigh, and looked up with raw emotion in his gaze. "Yeah." Standing up reluctantly, he tugged her to her feet as she shivered in the cool, damp air. "Come on."

She followed his lead to the empty showers, their linked, squeezing hands a lifeline in such uncertainties. They stripped each other's clinging clothes as the faucets magically roared to louder life than the pounding rain outside, and then held each other silently, tightly, as the warming water sluiced onto their skin.

"I can't do it," Scorpius finally whispered in the stillness, the torment in his voice a torment for _her_.

Rose stroked his cheek with a sigh. "Then don't," she whispered back simply before pressing her lips to his.

The rest was liquid fluidity. Hands and mouths tangled, skin flushed, hips met, and hearts melted to an intoxicated death.

Scorpius clung on afterward, warmth seeped back fully into his bones. Heart slowing, head bowed, he slowly released her though she held on as well. "You're right," he rasped, "I want _you_."


End file.
